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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. land — to come down
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. object — an aim
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spell — letters
  10. object — to protest
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. object — a thing
  14. rock — music
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. land — a country
  20. pit — a hole
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com